Another first — driving the 11-mile Tail of the Dragon and its 316 curves

By LARRY VAUGHT

What I love about coming to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, so often is that I can always find something new and different today like we did Wednesday when we made the 70-mile drive to Fontana Dam in North Carolina, the first time I had been there since my family went on vacation there 57 years ago.

Not only did we get to drive on the recently opened 17-mile stretch of the Foothills Parkway, but we also got to experience the 11-mile Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, an 11-mile stretch with 316 curves and some fantastic scenery. It was filled with motorcycles — and photographers set up to capture every vehicle and motorcycle on the road.

We had a great lunch at Wildwood Grill at Fontana Dam and then loved the views from the dam. To make it even better, Ina and Clint Horton were the volunteers at the dam visitor center. Not only are they Marshall County natives, but they knew my buddy Kay Berggren of Danville and shared some great tourism stories involving her.

Got a few more new experiences planned for the next few days — if the rain stays away.